BBC to end Hindi radio service

It isn't an April fool's day joke on over nine million listeners, mostly in rural north India. After seven decades of broadcasting, the BBC will shut down its Hindi radio service from April 1, 2011, as part of its global cost-cutting effort.

For dozens of angry people who called up the BBC's office here on Thursday, the only hope for the return of the suave voices of the BBC Hindi anchors could be the easing of the rules that prevent private news and current affairs FM channels.

The ruthless cuts announced by the BBC World Service will affect at least 17 international language services, from Albanian and Azeri to Mandarin and Russian. About 30 million listeners will be lost, while 650 jobs will be axed in an effort to reduce expenditure before the British Foreign Office ends its funding in 2014.

The Hindi radio service will account for 23 of those lost jobs. Many of the remaining 29 employees will continue to run the BBC Hindi website, now available on mobile phones as well.

“We are considering the option of some radio programming on the website as well,” said BBC Hindi Editor Amit Baruah. That is little consolation for the vast majority of rural listeners who have little access to high-speed Internet.

However, sources in the BBC indicate that the organisation would jump at the chance to set up an FM channel of its own, to continue providing radio services in the same way as it is doing in several other countries where short and medium wave services are being cut.

India is the only South Asian nation that does not allow private FM news channels. In fact, sources say the BBC launched its preliminary FM initiative, providing entertainment and non-news content to partner channels reaching 52 cities, in the hope that the government would soon agree to allow news content as well.

Launched in May 1940 in the midst of World War II and the freedom struggle, the BBC Hindi service was religiously followed by generations of listeners, who considered it the most credible source of news. Listeners still remember that the BBC Hindi was the first to announce Indira Gandhi's assassination to both India and the world, even before the government broadcasters made the announcement. Reports suggest that even Maoists in the isolated jungles of eastern India tune in for the BBC Hindi.

However, from an estimated listener base of 30 million a decade ago, the BBC Hindi has seen its audience decline to just over nine million today, hit by the poor reception of short and medium wave radio and the rising popularity of television and FM.

While the BBC continues to provide short-wave services in India in Tamil, Urdu, Bengali and Nepali, sources suggest that all short wave services will ultimately be shut down. Unless they are allowed to broadcast news on FM, The BBC radio's era in India may soon be over.

It is sad to know that BBC Hindi Service is downing its curtain. I am more pained by the fact that common people of north India will be deprived of a credible source of information. Many villagers will have no after-dinner dose of programme on current affairs and Indian culture.

from:
R Rahman

Posted on: Feb 15, 2011 at 12:32 IST

FM and radio in general in India is controlled by the 'language politics'. The only languages that are allowed to be transmitted across states are Hindi, Urdu and Sanskrit. Transmission in Tamil in even areas with good Tamil population like Karnataka or Burma-Manipur border - areas with significant Tamil population is virtually not allowed as per Indian language politics. It is appalling that the border town of Hosur does not even have a relay station. This is where BBC, China Radio International, Radio Veritas, RTM Malaysia etc. cater to Tamil listeners. It is also interesting to note that even Radio Pakistan has a time-slot in Tamil through short wave. Tamil does not even have a significant presence in Indian Short Wave. BBC Tamil can no way be shut down, even if Short Wave transmission ceases or Indian govt disallows relaying through FM. Indian govt policies will be taken advantage of by foreign agencies.

from:
Anbarasan

Posted on: Feb 2, 2011 at 13:32 IST

I'm 41 years old, lived in 5 different cities/towns in India and haven't met a single person who listens to BBC Hindi. Hardly anyone listens to AIR either these days.

from:
dove

Posted on: Jan 29, 2011 at 18:48 IST

It's very sad. I grew up listening to BBC; today my father still listens. Without listening he won't take his dinner.

from:
Dev

Posted on: Jan 29, 2011 at 15:37 IST

It is very shocking news for me.
I had emotional tie with your service & hard working, dedicated team.
I remember when I was pereparing for compititive exam(1997-2003) your Hindi service in radio helped me lot, though I am listening in internet now but radio has its own importance and very affordable to all.
So, I heartly appeal that continue with BBC-Hindi Services.

from:
virendra singh negi

Posted on: Jan 29, 2011 at 08:19 IST

This is shocking news to millions of BBC Hindi listeners across globe. But I hope that at least, they will continue the service on Web, and if BBC comes on FM then it would be wonderful.